'Welcome to the Future of Air India': A Revamped Greeting Post Tata Takeover

The pilots were asked to change the welcome announcement made after the closure of the cabin.

Air India.

(File Photo: IANS)

If you had boarded an Air India flight on Friday, 28 January, the pilot would have welcomed you with a different announcement, now that the airline has been formally handed over to the Tata Group.

On Friday, the first day after the formal takeover of the airlines by the Tata Group, the pilots were asked to change the welcome announcement which is made after the closure of the cabin.

"Dear Guests, this is your Captain (Name) speaking... Welcome aboard this historic flight which marks a special event. Today, Air India officially becomes a part of the Tata Group again, after seven decades," the welcome speech, as sent out to all the pilots, read.

Further, the pilots have been asked to say: "We look forward to serving you on this and every Air India flight with renewed commitment and passion. Welcome to the future of Air India! We hope you enjoy the journey. Thank you."

On Thursday, Tata Group chairman, N Chandrasekaran, called on Air India employees to work together to build the airline according to the country's needs.

In a communication to the employees, Chandrasekaran said: "Now is the time to look ahead."

This came on the same day that Tata Group subsidiary, Talace Private Limited, formally took over the managerial control of the airlines.

"Today is the beginning of a new chapter. The entire nation's eyes are on us, waiting to see what we will achieve together. To build the airline our country needs, we need to look to the future," Chandrasekaran added.

He added that the "golden age" of Air India lies ahead and the "journey towards it starts now."